Amidst inspirational remarks, touching videos and heartfelt tributes, students, faculty, alumni, families and supporters celebrated the milestones and achievements of The Rashi School on May 1 at the Seaport Hotel Boston. Community leaders Michelle and Darren Black received the prestigious 2022 Kehillah (Community) Award, while Rashi alumna Clara Scheinmann (’04) was given the 2022 Tikkun Alum Award in recognition of her extraordinary dedication to social justice.

Michelle Black currently serves on the Board of Trustees at The Rashi School and Gann Academy, where she is a strong champion for expanding the reach and impact of local Jewish day schools. Previously, she served on the board of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), is an alumnus of CJP’s Acharai Leadership Development program and The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) National Young Leadership Cabinet. Michelle earned her BA from University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Darren Black is a managing director at Summit Partners, a private equity firm where he focuses on health care investments. Darren currently serves on the board of directors for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, CJP and Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of New England. He has served as campaign chair for CJP and is a current co-chair of Gann Academy’s Permanence and Possibilities Campaign, lending his time and expertise to building a strong future for Jewish day schools and the Greater Boston Jewish community at large. Darren earned his BA in government from Harvard College and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Michelle and Darren are the proud Rashi parents of four Rashi alumni: Evan, ’16, Emily, ’20, Scott, ’20, and Alex, ’22.

Upon accepting the award, Michelle gave a heartfelt speech which drew a standing ovation from the guests. As the Blacks’ four children all attended The Rashi School, Michelle spoke passionately about their time at Rashi. “Rashi created an atmosphere of joyful learning and discovery that aligned with our values and helped transform our children into self-confident, capable and compassionate young adults,” remarked Michelle. “It is not by chance that Rashi graduates grow up and bring their voices, leadership skills and moral values with them as they lead and impact the world. We believe this is in large part because of the education they received at the Rashi School.”

The Rashi School also proudly presented Rashi alumna Clara Scheinmann, ’04, with the 2022 Tikkun Alum Award in recognition of her extraordinary dedication to social justice and tikkun olam (repairing the world). Clara, who is the director of programs and strategy for the Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, gave a passionate speech as she accepted her award. “Fighting antisemitism and hate today can take a toll on our spirit,” said Clara. “Without strength in spirit, it’s easier to give up, and if there is one singular lesson that I learned from my grandfather who survived the Holocaust, it’s to never give up.”

Clara is deeply involved in the local Boston and global Jewish communities, where she has both completed several leadership development programs and co-chaired committees for CJP. She is a first-generation American, a dual French and American citizen and speaks six languages, including French, English, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. As the daughter of an Ashkenazi father and a Sephardic mother, Clara inherited a rich tradition and strong Jewish identity that motivates her to connect with others, hear their stories and develop solutions to ensure a strong future for the Jewish people.

This year’s event co-chairs were Helene and Seth Gelber, Jessica and Chuck Myers, and Lisa and Neil Wallack. Over the years, the Rashi Annual Dinner has evolved into an annual celebration of Rashi and its impact on the community. The Rashi School’s Annual Dinner is the school’s largest and most important fundraiser and community event of the year.

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